The Second World War: In Pictures

The most widespread war in history, the Second World War involved more than 100 million people who served in military units. Moreover, the major participants adopted a state of 'total war' whereby the nation's entire economic, industrial and scientific capabilities were dedicated to the war effort, removing the distinction between military and civilian resources. The widespread use of strategic bombing by both sides saw civilians targeted in their homes and at their workplaces, particularly in Britain, Germany and Japan, leading to substantial death tolls. Moreover, mass exterminations of civilian populations by Germany and Japan produced a total number of fatalities that some estimates suggest reached 50 million, while others say that the number could be more than 70 million. It was the deadliest conflict in human history.

This book looks at the Second World War from a largely British perspective, based on almost 300 photographs from the archives of Mirrorpix.